Air pollution after lockdown (1)

Leonie Cooper: I am concerned at the recent rises in air pollution as London leaves lockdown. Are you considering bringing forward the ULEZ expansion and strengthening of the LEZ in order to urgently address this?

The Mayor: On the 20 March 2020, I temporarily suspended all of London’s road user charging schemes including the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Low Emission Zone (LEZ). This was to ensure access for London’s critical workers during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and to support essential deliveries.
I share your concerns around the rise in air pollution caused by an increase in traffic. This is why, following the Government’s initial announcement of the easing of lockdown in early May, Transport for London (TfL) reinstated all road user charging schemes from 18 May 2020.
I am committed to the October 2021 launch date for expanding the ULEZ to the North and South Circular roads. It is important to give Londoners certainty and enough time to prepare. Nonetheless the benefits of the scheme will begin to be realised as owners of non-compliant vehicles continue to upgrade their vehicles ahead of October 2021.
However, in recognition of the short-term impact the pandemic has had on vehicle supply chains and to allow the freight industry to focus on core operations, the operation of the new LEZ standards for heavy vehicles which was due to start on 26 October 2020 will be delayed by at least four months until 1 March 2021. The environmental impact of this delay is expected to be minimal due to the current high levels of pre-compliance with the standards.

Representations about bringing forward step free access scheme on Network Rail services.

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the Prime Minister’s speech on the 30June 2020 which announced bringing forward capital investment projects will you consider making representations to the Prime Minister to prioritise bringing forward railway step free access projects under the Network Rail Access to All scheme?

The Mayor: I remain committed to making the transport network more accessible and inclusive for all. Transport for London’s (TfL) draft revised budget for 2020/21 includes £1.4bn for vital capital projects across London. We need to be realistic about what will be affordable in the coming years, but this funding includes plans to complete work on step-free schemes at nine London Underground stations. We must not underplay the value of more step-free access schemes for disabled and older people with mobility needs. These sorts of schemes can also boost the construction sector and supply chain, which is vital during recovery.
As well as making the case for TfL step-free access schemes as part of ongoing funding discussions with Government, my Deputy Mayor for Transport will press Government to make funding available to London through the Access for All programme, be it at TfL stations or those owned by train operating companies, and has recently written to the Minister on this topic.

Face Masks on Buses

Keith Prince: Will you instruct TfL to ensure that Bus Drivers prevent anyone who’s not wearing a face mask from boarding a London Bus?

The Mayor: 90 per cent of passengers during the morning peak are complying with the requirement.
Some customers are exempt from the requirement to wear a face covering, including people who have trouble breathing, children, and anyone who finds it difficult to manage them correctly. An exemption card is available for these customers, and they can still travel within the advisory seating capacities which allow for social distancing.
While bus drivers should advise and help customers understand the requirements as much as possible, this is not something they are expected to enforce. That remains a role for police and TfL enforcement officers, who are working together to educate passengers and enforce the requirement if necessary. Those without face coverings and who are not exempt are at risk of being refused travel, being ejected or being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
As of early August, nearly 55,000 customers have been stopped and around 250 Fixed penalty notices have been issued by TfL officers. Nearly 4,000 people have been prevented from boarding and over 1,000 ejected from the service so far. This does not include police enforcement.
A new reporting facility has been introduced for bus drivers to report issues with face coverings. This helps to identify locations where more support is required, such as police or TfL enforcement or more communications activity.

TfL Contracts

Shaun Bailey: Has TfL awarded any contracts since May 2016 where a competitive tender process has not been in place? If so, please provide a list of the contracts and the reasons for doing so.

The Mayor: Whilst Transport for London’s (TfL’s) standard procurement approach is to tender its requirements competitively, in limited cases it is necessary to award contracts directly (e.g. intellectual property rights, technical or artistic reasons, or to ensure the continuation of essential services). TfL has rigorous approval processes in place to test the validity and necessity of any directly awarded contract, in any situation Approval levels are higher than those for contracts awarded as part of a competitive process, ensuring it is not the easy option to directly award contracts.
Please see a list of contracts attached with 946 contracts with a value of c.£500m from a total of 3829 contracts worth c.£60bn for the period May 2016 – May 2020. Due to technology constraints we are not currently able to accurately link reasons to each contract however this will be available for new requirements. The list includes directly awarded contracts such as:

Differing Needs of Londoners

Tony Devenish: Do you accept some Londoners, including many older Londoners, those with disabilities and those with several children, cannot always use public transport or walk or cycle and need a car?

The Mayor: For some journeys, in certain circumstances or for some people, using a car may be the most practicable option. However, research published by Transport for London (TfL) in 2019, Travel in London: Understanding our diverse communities, found that walking and public transport are the most commonly used types of transport by disabled and older Londoners. Free travel on public transport for children is particularly valued by families with children. That is why improving the ease of use and affordability of our public transport network and enhancing the whole journey experience and door to door accessibility by bike and on foot for as many trips as possible, are a core part of my transport strategy.
It is vital that we avoid a car-based recovery which would clog streets with traffic and increase air pollution. Ensuring an inclusive and green transport recovery by supporting people to walk and cycle where possible alongside a safe return to public transport is essential to enable all Londoners to get the physical activity they need to stay healthy.

Overhanging Vegetation

Alison Moore: Overhanging vegetation can be a real problem to pedestrians. TfL and the local highway authorities have a duty and powers to clear away overhanging vegetation. This is especially important at this time when Londoners are being asked to keep a distance. Will the Mayor ensure overhanging vegetation is cut back from the pavements it controls and encourage the London boroughs to do the same on their streets?

The Mayor: As part of its work to aid social distancing, Transport for London (TfL) has been working to remove overhanging vegetation across its streets. This includes a significant amount of work to notify third party owners of overhanging vegetation on the TfL Road Network so that they can remove vegetation which may cause problems for people walking.
I would expect Boroughs to adopt a similar approach to TfL in manging vegetation along the streets they are responsible for managing to ensure these spaces can be used safely.
TfL customers can report any concerns directly through its Streetcare webpage (streetcare.tfl.gov.uk) to allow quick resolution of any issues raised. For overhanging vegetation on borough roads, issues can be reported by local residents directly to boroughs through fixmystreet.com.